Jen Kornfeldt (Katherine Heigl) did not know what was in store for her when she wed prince not so charming, Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher).

In “Killers,” Kornfeldt goes on a trip to the French Riviera after going through a terrible break-up. There, she falls madly in love with Aimes and gets married. But the truth about his double life eventually begins to unravel.

            The film starts out in dual frames, transitioning from Kornfeldt inside an airplane to Aimes sticking a time bomb on his target’s helicopter.

            Although the typical love story of the boy falling in love with the girl and vice versa is cute, the romance moves too fast. In literally fifteen minutes, the young couple meet and get married.

Aimes gives up his job as a spy and Kornfeldt remains clueless about what his true occupation. The film does not show anything between their first meeting and their wedding. Instead, it fast forwards three years when they are already happily wed and living in their dream house.

            But, of course, there is no such thing as a “happily ever after.” Just when Aimes and Kornfeldt think their lives are perfect, Aimes receives a package from his former boss with a secret message encoded into it. Once the code is decoded, all hell breaks loose.

           People who are thought to be the couple’s “close friends” try to murder Aimes for a $20 million reward offered from the head boss. They are called the “killers,” hence the film’s title.

            Kutcher is a believable actor. He plays a paranoid spy in the movie and at the slightest noise; he flinches uncontrollably and swiftly moves his hand towards his gun that hangs around his belt.          

Heigl is a great actress because she portrays her role as the dumbfounded wife perfectly. The first time a killer is encountered, Heigl walks in on a fight between Aimes and the killer. When Aimes orders Heigl to retrieve the gun from their drawer, she does not know what to do with it.

            Although fighting and killing scenes are usually not meant to be comedic, the duo makes the audience chuckle. While Aimes is obviously occupied with not getting killed, Kornfeldt just stands astonished. They continuously bicker at each other, both frustrated at the situation, which only adds to the humor.

            Overall, this movie is definitely worth watching. It has comedy, action, and romance jam-packed into one movie. It is perfect for both guys and girls because it is not entirely a chick flick nor an action film.

Her debut album Believe was released worldwide towards the end of 2009.

 Although Orianthi has achieved stardom, she has not illustrated a variety of different songs. In her album Believe, she shows no array of diverse music choices and all her songs fall into two categories: fast-paced rock, or slow and boring.

            “According To You” has done well on the charts, but it is far from original and does not set her apart from other artists. She repeats the same lyrics over and over again, showing no creativity. Her voice is pitchy and needs drastic improvement. Her debut single is not strong or in the same league as many mainstream artists such as Rihanna or Lady Gaga.

            Orianthi’s songs “Suffocated,” “Bad News,” “Think Like a Man,” and “What’s It Gonna Be” all share the same melodies and vocals. These songs are forgettable and not enjoyable to listen to because of Orianthi’s lack of talent. For instance, in the song “Suffocated,” she repeats the same lyrics again and again but the listener still forgets what the song is about. Instead of remembering the lyrics or Orianthi’s talent, one remembers the feeling of wanting the song to end.

           Additionally, her songs have clichéd lyrics. In “Bad News” Orianthi yells “now don’t make me wait, I want to know that I’m your biggest mistake.” She then constantly repeats “give me the bad news” like a broken record.

. She only has one song that differs from all the others, “Untogether.” Although the beat is very soft, her voice cannot fully transform into a soft and calm one.

            Orianthi is far from a good singer, but she is a great guitarist. The only track on her album that sounds decent is her guitar duet with Steve Vai, “Highly Strung.” This collaboration is the only successful song in Believe for only one reason: it is acoustic.

            Amateur vocals, no diversity, lack of originality all make a recipe for disaster, which Orianthi’s debut album shows. She needs to stop singing and stick to what she actually has talent for—the guitar.

               This summer Eric Briggs (’10) and Allen Au (’11) are participating in Drum Corps International (DCI), a non-profit organization that features young musicians on brass, percussive instruments, dance, and colorguard. Ryan Yee (’10) has been an avid participant in DCI but will not be taking a part of it this year.

                “I remember when we were just learning to drum,” friend Yasmeen Todd (’10) said. “Now they’re all off going into marching band’s version of the Big Leagues—drum corps.”

 After signing up at an audition site, the three boys were judged on their ability to play the music. They look for people who are prepared and ready to adjust to the corps’s style and consistency.

            “Most of the groups [from DCI] are at a high level,” marching band director and former Santa Clara Vanguard corps member Martin Rhees said. “They don’t stress on talent but on hard work and perseverance.”

                Briggs will be performing with a group called Velvet Knights (VK) that is based in Pasadena. It is his second year in VK and he will be playing second bass, (one of several deep-sounding drums that are played horizontally instead of vertically and vary in pitches). His previous year in VK, he played first bass. This year, Briggs was a part of marching band as one of the drum majors and was in the drumline. This season, he is playing French horn for concert band and percussion for jazz band and orchestra.  Briggs has been dedicated to percussion for seven years playing instruments such as cymbals, bass drum, and snare for all four years in the Drum Corps.

“I definitely see myself going into music,” Briggs said. “It’s my passion and it’s become a large part of my life.”

                He was also a part of Winterguard International (WGI) this year with the Riverside Independent Percussion group. According to Briggs, WGI features all musical elements from DCI except brass. The key distinctions of a WGI show are that it is performed indoors and the show is taken at a much faster tempo.

                Briggs says that he chose VK because he was “hooked at first sight.” After seeing just one of their performances, he loved how they were entertaining rather than merely traditional.

                Currently, VK practices every few weekends but for a few weeks in the summer, they will be rehearsing from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. every day on the field of John Muir High School.

            “I think it’s great that he’s doing what he loves but he will have to face challenges like remembering everything he learned in terms of music and marching,” brother Josh Briggs (’12) said.

               Yee has been a part of percussion for eight years playing tenors for four years in Drum Corps. Although he is not marching this summer, he has had previous encounters with WGI and DCI.

               In his sophomore year, he was in Valley Independent Percussion playing tenors, and this past year he was also a part of Riverside Independent Percussion along with Briggs. This past winter drumline season, R.I.P. came in first place at the Southern California Percussion Alliance competition.

                He was inspired to play percussion after watching the Drum Corps perform back in 2002.

“Since then, I was captivated,” Yee said. “Through the years of watching other corps and groups perform, I learned valuable lessons such as discipline, teamwork, and leadership.”

Such qualities are always sought for when marching. Au believes he has these qualities as he enters his very first year marching with Impulse.

            “What’s difficult about drum corps is having to do a perfect show every time and then doing better,” Au said.

            Having no musical experience prior to his freshman year, he joined marching band’s percussion section. Two years later, Yee told him about Impulse Drum & Bugle Corps and said that the bassline instructor was an excellent teacher. Like the others, Au says he got “hooked” immediately.

 “I know that he has a burning passion to drum,” friend Danielle Alberto (’11) said. “It’s really time-consuming, too, his beloved summer being taken up. But it’s definitely an experience he’s going to remember for the rest of his life, something he’ll tell his kids.”

                All three boys agree that DCI is for the dedicated and experienced. According to Briggs, Yee, and Au, group members must know what they are doing and with that, give their full dedication, motivation and nothing but their best.

            “These boys have the type of personality to thrive in [the DCI] environment,” Rhees said. “They have a good idea of what they’re going to get into. They want to be challenged and they’ll be very successful.”

 Many of us started listening to One Republic after their hit single “Apologize” because of their unique sound. The song marked the beginning of the band’s popularity and revealed its great potential.

 The fact that they write their own music makes it easier for people to relate to them. Unlike other artists who talk about materialistic things such as money, One Republic’s music is about their daily lives.

Its latest album Waking Up is remarkable. Front man Ryan Tedder has a smooth and pleasant voice. His ability to go from low pitch to high pitch is amazing.

The songs come from their hearts as they share their personal experiences with the listeners. “Made For You” is about their writing experience and how they can “feel all the love” from their fans who support them and love them unconditionally.  “All The Right Moves” talks about how the band is going to be true to itself.

 “Secrets” and “Fear” have a very dark and mysterious edge with alluring melodies. There were also some songs such as “Made For You” and “Everyone Loves Me” that have rhythmic beats.

 One of the most admirable aspects of the album is the band’s ability to generate emotion and feeling through the music and instruments alone.

Their experimentation with instruments was quite interesting and unique. In “Made For You” the instruments gave the song a hypnotizing feel. But, in “Missing Persons 1 and 2” the instruments overpowered Ryan Tedder’s voice and distracted away from the lyrics.

The songs range from joyful and upbeat to gloomy and sensitive. “Good Life” and “Everyone Loves Me” have a very perky sound. They were bubbly with lyrics that were optimistic. On the other hand, “Secrets” and “Made For You,” had a more sophisticated sound.

Waking Up was an excellent album with a good selection of songs. The music will appeal to a variety of listeners because anyone will be able to connect with One Republic’s soulful and lyrics and sound

 These are the inspiring words repeated throughout “Robin Hood,” though they do little to reflect the overall plot of the movie.

            “Robin Hood” tells the tale of an English nobleman who fights in the third crusade. After Richard the Lionheart (King of England) is slain by the French, Robin Hood goes back to England for the first time in 10 years. He returns King Richard’s crown only to see that the cynical Prince John (King Richard’s brother) takes over. He dedicates himself to saving England both from the French invasion and its own tyrannical King.

            Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Russell Crowe (“Gladiator,” “A Beautiful Mind”), Cate Blanchett (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Lord of the Rings”), Max Von Sydow (“Shutter Island,” “Solomon Kane”), and Mark Strong (“Kick-Ass,” “RocknRolla”). Though the film features great performances by many actors, specifically Russell Crowe and Mark Strong, a haunting score that will stay with you long after you leave the theatre, and captivating dialogue, it takes the focus of the Robin Hood tale in a less interesting direction.

Rather than “robbing from the rich and giving to the poor,” Robin Longstride, as he is known in this story, spends his time discovering his father’s past, falling in love with a widow, fighting against the French, and protecting the citizens of Nottingham from unfair taxes (in the least violent manner possible).

Though this technique of bringing realism to stories has been effective in many recent movies, it has done nothing but cripple the thrilling tale of Robin Hood.

Taking the focus away from Robin’s qualms with King John and instead putting it on the French invasion does nothing but weaken and complicate the storyline. By the end of it, you are not sure whether Robin is angrier with the King or the French intruders that undermine him.

 And like any good Hollywood movie, there is always a love interest, a hollow one at that. While at war in France, Robin meets a dying man who requests that he return his father’s sword to Nottingham. Upon returning the sword, Robin meets the dead man’s wife and father. For economic reasons, the man’s father asks that Robin pretend to be his son so that his daughter-in-law may keep her house. Naturally, the two become very close, especially after Robin helps recover taxed grain for the village to plant. By the end of the movie, Robin is risking his own life to save hers. Obviously, their love is caused by circumstance and nothing more.

The main problem with this film is not hard to figure out. We have a very clear understanding of who Robin Hood is in our culture, and that is what we look for on the big screen. Unfortunately, rather than being the liberating outlaw that we know him as from other film versions, Robin Hood comes off as some kind of a war hero.

“Robin Hood” can be one of two things depending on your perception: a great origin story or a Hollywood flop. Though most movies nowadays end up being the latter, I would not doubt the success of a follow-up to this film. This is only the beginning of Robin Hood’s war against corruption in England. It is probably just the slow movie we have to sit through to get to a truly superb sequel.

We give this film, a 3 out of 5 stars.

Sound neat? Well, Arthur Tagakchyan (’10) puts his skill to work in order to make graphic scenes like these. 

 From the age of 13, he has been working on special effects or as he calls it, “video manipulation.” His brother, Grigor Tagakchyan, also made student films in college, an interest which eventually “rubbed off” on Tagakchyan.

“He has a unique way of thinking and he is very creative,” Grigor said.

After watching, “Gary’s Game,” a film by Pixar, Tagakchyan “fell in love with animation” and was “pushed to find the middle ground between live action and totally fake.”

According to Tagakchyan, he has always been a “technical guy who tries to figure out how things work.” The whole concept of making something from nothing amazed him.            

In 10^th grade, he began collaborating with friend Aramais Airapetian (’10), who creates and directs his own films as well. Together, they established a production company called Colossal Productions.

They submitted their film, “Re-Do,” to the annual Film Festival. The movie won in the following categories: Best Edit, Best Sound, Best Special Effects, and Best Overall Movie.

But aside from this, they “just make movies for fun” and for their own experience.  

Tagakchyan does all of his editing on the computer, and prefers Windows over Mac because it is “easier to customize.” He purchases the computer parts separately and assembles them together himself.

“Arthur is an awesome special effects editor,” Airapetian said. “He takes his time with it and even if the effect isn’t long, he’ll perfect it to the last detail so that no one can point out a mistake.”

In addition to working with Airapetian, Tagakchyan also edits concert shows, such as GHS’s “Traveler” that he and his brother worked on a few years ago. He helped make posters and added the finishing touches to the event DVD.

Lately, he has been able to create more challenging effects such as someone getting hit by a car and having someone’s head blown off by lightning.

“We do our best to let him be aware of and explore other fields, but we are not discouraging what he is doing now at all,” father Korioun Tagakchyan said.

His brother also helps him financially such as providing equipment and giving suggestions on how to improve his work.   

Tagakchyan hopes to eventually work on a major motion picture or in the media industry. He recently committed to UC San Diego to study computer engineering.

“[Technology] is a way for me to create my own form of [entertainment],” Tagakchyan stated.

Directed by Allen Coulter, this film is just like any other romance, such as “10 Things I Hate About You,” “She’s All That,” and the most recent, “The Proposal.” Just like these movies, “Remember Me” follows the same format: the guy goes out with the girl as a dare and before we know it, he unexpectedly falls in love with her. What a shocker.

But “Remember Me” is not a comedy. Instead, it is filled with intense and dramatic emotion. Pattinson’s character, Tyler Hawkins, is not the ideal prince charming; he has bad habits such as excessive drinking, smoking, and a bad attitude.

He is going through an emotional crisis due to his parents’ divorce and his father, Charles Hawkins, played by Pierce Brosnan, is a workaholic that pays no attention to his family.

One night, Tyler gets drunk, gets kicked out of a bar, gets into a fight, and the police are called. The policeman that apprehends Tyler just happens to be the father of Tyler ’s love interest.

Tyler’s roommate challenges him to ask out Ally Craig, played by Emilie de Ravin, and then dump her for all the trouble that her father has caused.

Reluctant at first, Tyler decides to go through with the plan and unexpectedly falls in love with her. With the help of the vibrant Ally, Tyler learns to see the good in life and begins to feel “true” happiness for the first time.

But how long will this happiness last? Well that is for you to find out.

This movie may not have the hype that Pattinson’s previous movies have had, but it is Pattinson’s best role yet, despite the cliché plot. His transition from playing the tortured vampire to a reckless “dude” is terrific.

Emilie de Ravin’s performance was okay, but it was nothing worth remembering. She had a few good scenes but lacked charisma. Even though Pierce Brosnan did not have many scenes, they were all powerful in the film. He embodied the coldhearted, work-obsessed father exceptionally.

Overall I thought this movie was mediocre. It had some great performances but an ending that did not satisfy.

Bringing together the elements of avant-garde, electronica, indie and middle eastern music, Tatoyan is a pioneer in the movement for musical experimentation.

Since the beginning of her music career in the early 2000’s, she has been acclaimed by various newspapers and magazines including the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, URB and FUTURE SOUNDS. Coachella Magazine recently named her as one of the artists to look out for this year.

Her band has an interesting live set-up; rather than the traditional four-man rock band including two guitars, a bass and drums, Tatoyan’s live shows incorporate cellos, synthesizers, guitars, keyboards, and two live drum sets. It is this set-up that helps her translate her songs onto the stage in a unique way.

Though Tatoyan’s songs are difficult to define, one may detect similarities between her and other artists at first. She uses very pop-oriented drum-machine beats, sometimes reminiscent of 1980’s electronica, combined with piano-heavy instrumentals over them. She also makes good use of her cello and guitar player with layered string sections and carefully-scattered guitar parts.

Some may be quick to compare her voice to that of Bjork, an experimental Icelandic singer. Tatoyan and Bjork have similar sounds to their voices, but when listening to Tatoyan’s entire body of work, one discovers that her voice changes regularly. One minute she is hitting high, shrill notes and the next minute she sings so softly that it could put you to sleep (in a good way).

In tracks like “I Will Inform You”, Tatoyan brings avant-garde ideas and melodies into a pop setting. She describes her music as “simple songs layered with complex parts that are reminiscent of Middle Eastern and occasionally experimental music.”

One will hear traces of various genres of music that are put in so briefly that the listener would barely notice them otherwise. A good example is the track “Well Beyond a Grave,” which starts out as an alternative pop song, but incorporates a classical-style cello and even a trumpet solo at the bridge. Through this technique, Tatoyan proves that she can write songs that are catchy but still intriguing to the average classical or jazz listener.

As far as her lyrical process goes, Tatoyan has a very interesting approach. She cites visual art as one of her biggest influences and often has a certain image in mind that she tries to create through tonality and lyrical content.

Because of this very unique writing process, Tatoyan’s music has a lot of diversity. Songs like “Well Beyond a Grave” and “The History of Stains” seem more radio-friendly, whereas “Radio Cures” and “Ver Cha Bess” sound more indie-influenced. This is another example of how her music sits on the fence of commercial and underground.

Tatoyan is an inspiration to underground artists trying to break through to the mainstream. She has found a place in music that others struggle for years to find. Her music pleases pop listeners as well as those more interested in their uncle’s Jazz-Polka Fusion band. She shows promise as an artist who will bring her best to the table and captivate everyone without ever compromising her sound.

Q. You lived in Indiana until you moved to Los Angeles in the fifth grade. How did that move change you?

A. I had a real childhood in Indiana . I grew up near the woods and spent my summers in Syria . There was a big difference in culture between Syria and Indiana . In Indiana I was the only Armenian girl at my school, and in Syria I was surrounded by other Syrian-Armenians. In fifth grade I suddenly came to a place with a lot of Armenian people. I related far more to Middle-Eastern Armenians. I was also intimidated by how mature everyone was; kids were smoking and drinking already.

Q. You were once titled “The Armenian Bjork” by The Armenian Reporter. What do you think of this title?

A. I don’t think about that title. Most people compare us because we are in the same genre and Bjork is the only well-known artist from that genre. My singing is influenced by Middle Eastern music, and for that reason, the tone of my voice may resemble Bjork occasionally.

Q. If there were any other era of music you could be a part of, what would it be and why?

A. I would go back to the early 90’s and do exactly what I’m doing now. I might also want to go back to the 30’s because playing live and connecting with the audience is very important to me, and artists did a lot more of that back then.

Q. Your music sounds like it would be great for a film score. Have you ever considered scoring a film yourself?

A. This summer I’m doing a soundtrack for a movie taking place in Jordan, a Middle Eastern country. I’m also taking a script called the “Human Emotional Process” and turning it into a musical.

Based on “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers”, a memoir by Maria Von Trapp, the play is about a nun turned baroness who marries a rich Austrian man, Georg “the captain” Von Trapp, and becomes the step mother of the musically inclined children. As Georg refuses to serve the Third Reich (Germany under Hitler) as part of the army, the family is forced to leave Austria in order to avoid persecution.

The musical will be performed from March 5-8 at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium, with a 1:00 p.m. matinee on March 6 and 7. The tickets will cost $15 for adults and $10 for students.

Music teacher Beth Richey and drama teacher Dave Huber chose “The Sound of Music” because they believe that it is a “must do” musical for kids to perform because it is “absolutely amazing.”

Huber thinks that every school needs to showcase the musical once every 20 years. He will be directing with junior Katy Gneier, who says that it is an “an honor to direct such a famous play.”

Richey will be the music director and will be conducting the orchestra, which is composed of selected music students enrolled in the school’s various music programs.

“There are different moods to all the songs throughout the play and although it is challenging, playing the music is really fun,” trumpet player Greg Kalfayan (’11) said. “The audience will really feel the intended emotions during the scenes.”

The cast has been  meeting consistently during the months of January and February to make this production very professional. After school, students rehearse in the auditorium from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. There is a very strict schedule set by Huber in order to achieve productive rehearsals. On Mondays and Wednesdays, all cast members work on blocking and dancing, Tuesdays and Thursdays are for music practice, and Fridays are usually only for the main characters. Those who do not rehearse on stage on a particular day memorize their lines.

The musical not only includes high school students, but middle school and elementary students as well. One of them is a fifth grader from Keppel, Jeong-A Cha, who auditioned with Richey after the music teacher announced that they will need young cast members. She will be playing Brigitta Von Trapp, the third youngest daughter in the musical.

“It is my first play and I am very excited since I get to act with high school students,” Cha said. “‘The Sound of Music’ is one of my favorite musicals.”

The members of the pit ensemble have only ten rehearsals. They are all individually responsible for their parts and are required to know the music before attending the rehearsals.

Though “The Sound of Music” is a popular and familiar musical, the school’s play will differ as it contains song pieces not in the original version such as “No Way to Stop It” and “An Ordinary Couple,” and instead of singing “My Favorite Things” in the bedroom scene where the kids are afraid, they sing “The Lonely Goat Herd.”

Cast member Manny Ohanesyan (’10) is “very excited” for all the new things they have learned. In January, the cast received waltz and fox trot lessons.

Melissa Montaño (’11), who will be playing Maria Von Trapp, is also ecstatic because taking on this character has been on Montaño’s “bucket list.”

Sophomore Alyssa Landreth plays Leisl Von Trapp, most famous for singing the song “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” with a Nazi sympathizer, Rolf, who is played by sophomore Josh Briggs.

Both starred in last year’s spring musical, “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” as Sally Brown and Linus Van Pelt.

The two will have one of the few kissing scenes in the musical but both view it as a “part of acting” and see it as being “strictly professional.”

Mother Bonita Montaño thinks that “The Sound of Music” was a good choice for the spring musical because of its “nice theme and music compared to other musicals.” She believes that it best shows the musical and dramatic abilities of the cast and is “really looking forward to watching it.”

      This film is the 11^th film based on the “Star Trek” franchise, and follows the adventures of a young James Kirk. It details how he came to the Starfleet Academy, met Spock, Bones, Scotty, and the rest of the crew. Viewers follow them on the adventure as they board the USS Enterprise starship to combat with Nero who threatens the United Federation of Planets. The film earned $76.5 million in its opening weekend.

2.   “Up”

      This Pixar film has Ed Asner playing the voice of Carl Fredricksen, a cranky old man who sets out for an adventure to fulfill a lifelong promise made to his deceased wife. The thrilling animated adventure provides laughter and tears. The film earned $68.2 in its opening weekend.

3. “Inglourious Basterds”

      There was a lot of hype surrounding this movie, and with director Quentin Tarantino and actor Brad Pitt starring in the film. The film is about a group of Jewish-American soldiers spreading terror through the enemy’s ranks by brutally killing Nazis. The film earned $65.1 million in its opening weekend.

4. “The Hangover”

“The Hangover” deserves its spot as one of the funniest comedy movies to come along in years. This film stars actors Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis. Four friends spend a crazy night in Las Vegas and as things get out of hand, the group of three try to retrace their steps and find their lost friend, Doug, to return home in time for his wedding. This comedy earned $44.9 million in its opening weekend.

5. “District 9”

      Many call it the “greatest” science fiction movie of all time. “District 9” is unusual right from the start: the story takes place in South Africa where aliens become refugees and their weapons become an interest of the government. The one man who can activate these weapons is being hunted down, and the only place that can give him refuge is “District 9.”  It is a paranormal movie and a stunning debut for director Neil Blomkamp. The film earned $37.4 million in its opening weekend.